Playing card holder



May 9, 1933. L. HOFFMAN 1,907,544

PLAYING CARD HOLDER Filed March 26, 1931 1011/5 fiaffinan Patented May 9, 1933 FATE tries LOUIS HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, N.. Y.

PLAYING cam) HOLDER Application filed March 26, 1931. Serial No. 525,463.

The invention is a holder for playing cards or the like which may be placed upon a table or attached to the edge thereof and which is adapted to hold and display a plurality of cards. as the cards of a players hand, before the player as though they were held in his hand.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device for holding and displaying the cards of a players hand before the player.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. holder for playing cards or the like in which the cards may be removed and replaced and their positions changed therein as desired.

Another object is to provide a holder for playing cards or the like which is adapted to hold one or any number of cards with the same tension.

Another object is to provide a holder for playing cards or the like which is portable so that it may be moved to any desired position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder for playing cards or the like which is adapted to be used by persons having only one arm or otherwise afiiicted.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a holder for playing cards or the like which is of a simple and economical construction.

WVith these ends in view the invention em- 5 iodies a pair of parallel plates vertically positioned and mounted upon a base and having resiliently held pins adjacent their upper ends for holding objects between the plates.

Other features and advantages of the in- 40 :ention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing a side elevation of the holder.

Figure 2 is an end elevation with part of one of the plates broken away on the center line of one of the resiliently held pins, and also part of the base broken away showing he construction thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder.

Figure lis a similar View showing the base in the form of an ash tray. l

Figure 5 is a View showing an end elevation of a holder of an alternate design in which the lower ends of the plates form a clamp.

In the drawing the holder is shown as it would be made wherein numeral 1 indicates one of the plates, numeral 2 the other of the plates, numeral 3 the resiliently held pins, and numeral at the base.

Rectangular shaped sections 5 are formed at the upper ends of the plates 1 and-2 and openings 6 are provided in the inner surfaces of the plates with corresponding openings 7, of a somewhat smaller diameter, in the outer portions of the plates. Flanges 8 are provided aroundt-he openings 6 and flanges 9 around the openings 7, and it will be noted that the flanges 8 provide bearings for the pins 3 and the flanges 9 provide seats for the outer ends of springs 10, the opposite'ends of which seat upon projections 11 at the inner ends of the pins 3, as shown in Figure 2. The springs resiliently hold the pins 3 toward the center of the holder and as the outer ends of the pins are conical shaped cards or the like placed between the plates 1 and 2may readily be forced between the pins and will be held thereby. In the design shown there are two sets of the pins 3, however it will be understood that one or any number may be used.

The lower ends of the plates may be somewhat narrower than the upper ends and may be attached to brackets 12 and 13 by rivets 14 as shown and the brackets may be at tached to a shell l forming the base by rivets 15. The base may be of any shape or design and may be filled with a material 16 to give it sufiicient weight to support the holder in an upright position regardless of how many 7 cards may be held therein. The base may also be formed as shown in Figure 4 with a recess 17 forming an ash tray in the upper surface thereof, and in this design the plates 1 and 2 may be attached to a member 18 extending upward from the base, or attached by v the brackets as shown in Figure 2.

In the design shown in Figure 5 the lower end ofthe plate 2 is provided with a flange *tractive.

may be made in the construction*withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the shape or design of the plates 1 and2, another may-be in the use of other resilient holding means in the upper ends of the plates, another may be in the use of other means :for supporting the plates, and still another may be in the userofother means for attaching the plates to the baseor-other obj eat.

'The construction will be readily understood .from the foregoing description. In use the holderimay be suppliedas shown and it .may be finished :so that it is 'neat'and at- It may be placed (upon a-ta-ble and as the .cards are dealt :they may be placed between the :pins and :plates as hereinbefore .described :and. it will be noted that by using two independent pins cards in one .side maybe 'removed and replaced-or a card may be'withdrawn :and played without disturbing the othercards. It willbe notedithatthe upper ends of the brackets 12 and 13 may fornrstops for the lloweri ends of the cards to prevent them being inserted too EIEEII' into the holder.

Having thus fully desoribed the invention what I claim 9.5;11GW and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a playing card holder of the character described, two stationary :parallel plates vertically positioned and rigidly supported, points slidably mounted in the upper end-sofeachof said .plates, the points of one plate being-opposed toathepointsiin the other plate, means in each of the plates resiliently holding the opposed zpoints jnabutting position, and a base supporting said plates.

2. In a :playiuge-ard holderptwo members paced :slightly apart, opposed points Jsli'd- *ably mounted in each of said members and extending into :the space between the plates, resilient means holding said .opposed points in abutting position, and means supporting said :plates.

ward each other, and means adapted to attach said stand to a table top or the like.

Signed at New York city in the county of Bronx and State of New York this 23rd day of March A. D. 1931.

LOUIS HOFFMAN.

3 In a device for holding-playing card's or=the:like,-a standhaving two upright members,1pinsslidalily held in'eac'h of said members :and in opposed relation to the'pins in the other member, rand aneans in said members resilientlyholding said pinst'oward each other.

4. In. a stand for holding playing cards or the like, opposed "pins between which the cards may be held slida'bly mounted in said stand, resilient means holding said 'pins :to- 

